Undergarment.



Patented May I3, I902. F., .1. mus. UNDERGARMENT.

(Application filed Mar. 8, 1902,)

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PAT NT T f U ND ERGARMENT,

SPECIFICATION forming part of. Letters Patent, No. 699,896, dated May 13, 1902. 1

Original application filed September 25, 190 1, Serial No. 76,480. "Divided and this applicetionfiled No. 97,339. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Beitknown that I, FRANK J. PRUE, a citizen of the United States, residing at WVoonsocket, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented new and useful Improvement-s inv Undergarments, of which the following is a specification.

as'at present made havebeen found to be very objectionable'because of the tendency of the seat portions to spread, apart and expose the'person of the wearer, particularly whensuch wearer stoops,'which is very uncomfortable.

The object of the invention is to remove the objection stated without rendering the garment cumbersome or uncomfortable in the crotch or'rnatcrially increasing the cost of the same; and it consists in a garment having a verticalopening or slit in its seat, which is advantageous because but aminimum amount of material is requiredto form the seat and the seat portions are enabled to' nor'mally'rest close together and cover the person of the wearer, and also having a flap which ip addition to resting over and reinforcing one of the the garment is calculated when the seat portions move apart-,as incident to stooping of the wearer, to cover the opening between said seat portions, and thereby effectually prevent exposure of the person of the wearer.

With the foregoing in mind the invention will be fully understood from the following description and claim when taken in conjunction with the annexed drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a front elevation of one embodiment of my invention, the said embodiment being similar in construction to that shown* in Fig. 4 of my contemporary application, filed September 25, 1901, SerialNo. 76,480, ofwhich the present application is a division; Fig. 2, a rear elevation illustrating the flap in a closed position and as partlybroken away; Fig. 3, a rear elevation of a modified embodiment of the invention with the lower portion of the front un buttoned and the crotch partly open; Fig. 4, a vertical transverse section of a portion of the construction shown in Fig.

March 8, 1902. Serial 3, and Fig. 5 a detail, rear elevation of the same as it appears when opened or spreadput. Referring-byletter to the said drawings, 7

and more particularly to Figs. 1 and 2 thereof,- A is the body portion ofthe garment, which above the waist may be in the usual form.

as to buttonin front and down to the crotch. B B are the legs, which form continuations of thebody portion. 0 C are seat portions,

Said body portion is preferably arranged so My invention relates to the class of under.- 1 garments provided with seat-openings which and D is a vertical slit or opening formed between the seat portionsand extending from the crotch upwardly, as best shown in Fig. 2.

The seat portions 0 O are designed to rest over and cover the buttock of the wearer, and, as will be readily appreciated, but a minimum amount of material is required to form the same.

By virtue of the central vertical slit or opening'D extending upwardly from the crotch at the back and the front buttoned opening extending upwardly from the crotchr. 6., communicating with theslit D-it will be seen that when the flap E, presently described, is

in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the crotch portion of the garment is entirely closed; also, that when the flap E is opened and the lower portion of the front of the body A is unbuttoned the crotch portion maybe conveniently opened to a considerable extent, which is an important advantage.

Sewed or otherwise joined alo'ng its vertical edge to one of the seat portions, preferably the "portion 0, at one edge of the slot or opening D,

as indicated by a, and extending throughout the height of-the slit or opening is the flap E, which in the preferred embodiment of the in- .vention is of the same material as the remain der of the garment. The upper portion of the flap is of a width corresponding to that of about one-half the back of the body, and said flap is gradually reduced in width from said upper portion to its lower end. In its normal position the fiap extends over the slit or open-' E is connected to the body A, as described, the flap obviously rests over and reinforces the seat portions C and covers the slit or opening D, and thereby eifectually prevents uncovering and exposure of the wearers person when said wearer is standing erect and also when he or she is stooping. The reduction of the flap in width from its upper portion to its lower end enables said flap to perform the functions stated without rendering the garment uncomfortable or cumbersome in the crotch or at any other point and at the same time contributes to the cheapness of the garment.

When the wearer of the garment desires to disconnect the upper outer portion of the flap from the body A and open the flap, the same may obviously be quickly and easily accomplished.

The embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 3 to 5 is similar in construction to that illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, with the exception that it comprises a supplemental flap E, knitted, sewed, or otherwise joined to the seat portion 0 at the vertical edge of the slit or opening D, asindicated by c. The said supplemental flap forms acontinuation of theinner layer of'the front buttoned portion of the garment, and in addition to being connected to the seat portion 0 at one edge of the slit or opening D it is knitted or otherwise connected at its upper end to the body of the garment, as indicated by d. It normally rests within the flap E and assists the same in normally closing the opening in the seat and back of the garment, and this withoutinterfering with the crotch portion of the garment being opened to a considerable extent when desired.

While I prefer for the reasons stated to red uce the flaps E in width from their upperportions to their lower ends, I do not desire to confine myself to the same, as the said flaps may be of any suitable shape without departing from the scope of my invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s-

A garment having a front-,buttoned opening extending down its front to its crotch,and also having an opening in its seat communicating with the front, buttoned opening and extending upwardly from the crotch, and seat portions, the flap E joined along its vertical edge to one of the seat portions at one edge of the seat-opening and extending throughout the latter, means for detachably connecting the free portion of said flap to the body of the garment, and a supplemental flap forming a continuation of the inner layer of the buttoned front of the garment joined along its vertical edge to the seat portion opposite to that to which the flap E is joined, and joined at its upper end to the body of the garment; the said supplemental flap being arranged to normally rest Within the flap E.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRANK J. PRUE.

Witnesses:

SAML. P. CooK, EDGAR L. SPAULDING. 

